Reworked well into the second UPA term and closely watched by varsities abroad,the proposed Bill to allow foreign institutes to set up campuses in India is likely to find place on the Union Cabinets agenda this week. The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has reworked the Bill considerably,factoring in recommendations made by a Committee of Secretaries (CoS) and keeping in mind concerns of all stakeholders. The new Bill format makes it time-bound,transparent and free of red tape. Prompted by a high-on-reform PMO,the latest version of the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Act has done away with all such clauses that could be viewed as deterrents by foreign institutes. The Bill will now come with an eight-month time-bound format for granting an institute approval to set up a centre in India through three levels first from the Registrar where the application is first filed,then from the Higher Education Commission which will advise the Centre and then the Centre will take a final call to grant or withhold the approval. To ensure transparency,the revised version of the Bill says that in case the Centre rejects an application,the reasons for the same will have to be communicated to the Foreign Educational Institution concerned within 30 days of the advice received on the same from the Commission. Changing previous provisions that suggested that UGC/ Commission could intervene in fee-regulation in institutes set up in India,the CoS has now suggested that institutes must instead adhere to full disclosure of all components of fee and deposits,the number of seats available,admission process,details of teaching faculty,including their educational qualifications,teaching experience and pay categories,details of the institutes physical and academic infrastructure,broad outlines of the syllabus,teaching hours etc. To ensure students interest,these foreign varsities will have to offer academic programmes in conformity with those standards prescribed by the statutory authority and comparable to what they offer on their main campuses in the country of their origin. With HRD Minister Kapil Sibals recent foreign trips having centred on the opportunities this legislation could offer in India,the Bill is keenly awaited,confirm highly reputed varsities abroad.
